Microchip releases new dsPIC33F GS DSCs

Microchip Technology Inc. has expanded its dsPIC DSC portfolio with the new dsPIC33FJ09GS302 family of dsPIC33 “GS” digital signal
controllers (DSCs) that adds lower-cost options for
digital-power conversion. The new family of DSCs lowers power consumption, enabling higher efficiency in
AC-DC and DC-DC power supplies, HID & LED lighting, solar
inverters, and other power conversion applications.

The
five-member dsPIC33FJ09GS302 family is optimized for digital-power
applications via integrated high-speed ADCs, a zero-wait-state signal
processing core, and flexible high-resolution PWMs. These peripherals
are integrated for streamlined interoperation, enabling sub-microsecond
digital control loops. Other key features of this family include on-chip
analog comparators with programmable hysteresis and rail-to-rail
operation, and an on-chip PMBus address selection current source to
reduce external components. These new DSCs offer the lowest power
dissipation of any of the GS family members, and are the first available
in a 20-pin SSOP package and the even smaller 36-pin VTLA package,
which has a 5x5 mm footprint.

The
new MPLAB Starter Kit for Digital Power (part # DM330017, $129.00)
allows customers to explore digital power conversion using Microchip’s
dsPIC33 “GS” architecture in popular digital power-conversion
topologies. The Kit includes a buck converter and a boost converter with
onboard programmable loads for each, along with an LCD display for
voltage, current, temperature and fault conditions. An onboard
debugger/programmer with a USB interface is included. Microchip also has
a wide range of reference designs, demonstrating various digital power-
conversion applications and topologies, such as the recently introduced
Platinum-rated 720W AC-DC and the Enhanced Solar Microinverter
reference designs.